For a military ball take into consideration the uniform your date will wear. If s/he is wearing a formal uniform, you should dress in formal attire too. This means if you are a woman your gown’s hem should not be higher than the knee. Tea-length (last photos in this post) works well when you intend to dance a lot. Trains are never a good idea for a ball due to the stepping hazards. Remember you walk backwards and in heels when on the dance floor. Slightly less than floor sweping (photo above) is the longest you should go. If you are a man rent a tuxedo or when you are in for a long-term relationship buy one. After 3-4 balls you are saving money when buying instead of renting. Wear your tuxedo with a black tie.

Evening gown in various royal blue shades with beaded waves pattern

Don’t show too much skin. Either an Angelina Jolie type slit, or a cleavage (back or front). A front cleavage should never compete with that of J Lo in her green dress on the red carpet.

Make sure your dress fits and allows you to sit down. Ignore the size tag. It is inside the gown – nobody can read it. You even can cut it out if you hate it. However, the latter decreases the chances for consigning it. Recall any color other than red, or black will be remembered, i.e. is only wearable once in the same crowd (e.g. the blue dress above). However, I think this applies for every gown due to the cell phone photos. On the upside, most military move every three years so you may consider going for classic gowns, watch your weight, and re-wear them at the military ball at the new post.

Don’t go for a prom dress. They just look cheap and make you look cheap too. Instead, rent a dress, or be proactive by buying a gown when it is on sale even though there is no immediate ball coming up and/or by checking upper level consignment stores regularly.

Vogue retro inspired black lace evening gown with 12 buttons in the back and more than 16 yards of fabric (self sewn)

Another important aspect are the shoes. Go for shoes with leather soles or suede soles (ballroom dance shoes). Heels of 2.5 inch (5 cm) are best for dancing. Unless you are an experienced dancer and you are used to dance on shoes with a 3.5 inch heel (~9 cm) or more don’t go there. Never wear new shoes that are not broken in. You don’t want to have blisters on your blisters at the end of the night. Make sure that your shoes have a heel cap to hold your foot in place when twisting and twirling. Slingbacks are a recipe for injuring your ankles. If your date is not a great dancer make sure you have closed toe shoes.

Make sure that you style your hair festive, but matching to the style of your gown. The same applies to your jewelry, clutch/evening bag, and make up. Avoid “over bling”. When you wear long chandelier earrings skip the necklace. When your gown has sequins, pearls, and/or crystals go for small earrings and non-embellished shoes (photo with blue dress). If you absolutely have to do leopard, keep it small (shoes, clutch).